Work Text:
There were once two dragons who lived atop the mountain of Ambers and Cor Lapis.
One is ashen white like dust.
Another as dark brown as the depth of the earth.
They lived in harmony, blessing the land with their protection while humans offered them gifts and treasures in return
Whenever there were visitors, they were welcomed warmly to the pair"s abode and everyone who had ever stepped foot in them would always testify to how beautiful it was.
This was thousands of years ago and the land of Liyue was so young, like a newly hatched chick revealing its downy hide for the first time.
But the story does not begin in the past, no, it is the present where this whole tale begins to weave its thread.
There is a dragon who lives atop the mountain of Ambers and Cor Lapis.
His scales are dark brown, His horns glowing in golden light. All beasts and humans who live in Liyue revere Him as a god.
For He blesses them with His divine protection; from their conquest to their harvest, He gives them bountiful rewards and prosperity. He lived in seclusion with only a few people who can see Him without incurring His wrath.
The pain of loss had made Him harden His heart to a stone.
Unable to feel, unable to sympathize, His blessing is His duty - an obligation.
All manners of creatures are still offering gifts; a physical manifestation of their gratefulness. But they did not dare to knock on His door for a visit.
The beauty of His abode is soon forgotten, only spoken in old wives tales and feathery folk"s bard songs. Those who managed to survive an encounter with Him will describe Him as a miracle that they are allowed to leave with their life intact. That permission in itself is a blessing; His mercy.
He clearly doesn"t welcome anyone; neither beast nor human.
The life of isolation is His choice.
There is, however, a fox in Liyue; a spry new addition in the harbor town by the mountain. With eyes the color of ocean depth and a toothy smile; he is a playful fellow with a coat of autumn maple leaves and a vibrant red scarf around his neck. He came from afar - the land of snow and ice - with his family, seeking a warmer climate to live and farm.
So to him, Liyue is awfully hot and humid.
Though he takes the change in stride and soon enough has come up with mischief more times than your fingers can count - yes even your toes.
He loves to venture out in the forest, collecting berries and placing traps. Fishing is his specialty as he can swipe at the shallow river and catch dozens of sweet fishes with his claws.
That day, however, he does not take a stroll through his favorite woods nor does he play pranks on the people in town with his siblings.
He has a new task that day; one that his father entrusts him with, albeit reluctantly and with strict rules. So with a basket full of fruits and vegetables from their new fields" first harvest, he climbs up the mountain of Ambers and Cor Lapis, humming a delightful tune to entertain himself.
At the peak, he sees the warning; a beaten up sign which told him off from entering further. But oh, no, the fox isn’t going to be deterred by a simple sign.
Curiosity nudges his legs, his tail wags leisurely behind him as he takes a step into the forbidden line.
One. Nothing happens.
Two. The bird chirps.
Three. The wind is colder here, he notices.
Four-- A loud thud echoes across the mountain.
His fur is raised, ears perked as he looked around to find the source of that voice. And there, he finds the creature; a dark brown dragon with golden mane and glimmering horns, looming over his much smaller form. The God of the Mountain, his father said, do not anger Him, son .
In awe, he raises his paw for a wave, a greeting of respect is ready on his lips when the dragon roars at him. The loud sound makes his hackle rise, his instinct crying out at him to run, escape , flee , this is not something he should mess with.
But something catches his eyes, something that makes him stop on his trail. And despite the common sense, the fear that’s setting off his instinct when faced with a predator, he reaches out and touches the dragon"s neck gently.
It doesn"t take the touch well.
He is found by the people in Liyue later when the moon is shining brightly above their head; laying unharmed on the soil of the woods in a secluded corner. There"s a certain determined twinkle in his eyes, filled with new resolve; a dangerous one, sure, but he’s more than happy to carry it out.
Soon after, he begs his father to be tasked with this responsibility every time their family needs to give offerings. His father is, predictably, furious at his young son. First, the fox had made his family sick with worry. Now, he wants to do the very thing that made him disappear for the whole day.
But the fox begs and begs, promising that he will definitely behave; be a good boy that his father is going to be proud of.
Eventually, his father relents. Especially since his son is so determined to do the task, a progress from his previously impulsive habit.
His father finally agrees upon one condition: he must return before evening each time he delivers the offering and the fox agrees quickly to that term. That is easy, he’s one of the fastest in his family.
From then on, every week the fox arrives at the peak, carrying with him a basketful of various kinds of items. If there"s nothing that day, he would pick up wild flowers and mushrooms; anything that he finds as valuable.
And at the peak, he would always step through the line brazenly, expecting the same reprimand; expecting the dragon to come and berate him. But to no avail, it never came back.
The fox doesn"t give up, never. If there"s one thing that he"s good at aside from playing pranks at people, it is his tenacity. Season changes and weeks pass, the fox faithfully returns, sometimes even trying to call out and strike a conversation with someone that isn’t there. He might not get a reply, but the fox chatters on, having fun as if he is indeed accompanied.
One day, he doesn"t appear at his designated time.
It is silent when he isn’t there, too quiet that it feels unsettling. Even the wind has slowed down and the sun dims despite how clear the peak is. Not a bird dares to chirp, not a leaf dares to rustle.
The peak is eerily quiet one moment.
Then the next, the form of a dragon appears through the mist. He sniffs knowingly at the air before He sets out, flying down the slope of the mountain. Passed the cluster of Ambers and rows of Cor Lapis, unbothered by Him passing by. Passed the crowds of trees ruffled by His descent.
Down.
Down .
Until halfway through, the middle point of the climb, He stops and sniffs once more. Then He delves between the trees, gracefully slithering across the group of trees and into the beaten path off of the climber"s road.
There it finds the fox.
Bleeding.
The fox had fallen from the outcropping above them, He can even spot the exact place where the tragedy befell the little creature, right beside a blooming Glaze Lily - a rare flower it barely saw anymore. It looks at the fox, curling in pain. Then at the flower, innocently blowing in the wind, clinging on the grass where it grows.
The next second, both had disappeared along with its presence.
When the fox opens his eyes, he isn"t in that awful place anymore. Nor is he bleeding. He looks around, trying to find out where exactly he is when a figure appears in his periphery.
It"s a...man? With glowing horns and dark brown hair tipped with the color of amber stones-- It"s the dragon!
He knows those sad, lonely cor lapis eyes, they are the exact same hue of the dragon that he first met, one that he wants to see brightened with life and hope. The dragon-man sits before him, offering a glass of warm tea and the fox takes it giddily; he has so much plan, he can"t wait to invite the dragon with.
Smiling widely, the fox offers his paw. And a name, he is asking for an exchange.
The dragon offers His claws but no name.
But that"s fine, the fox thinks, it"s a start .
From then on, the fox gains the privilege most people in the world could not; an audience with the dragon. The fox does not care for how people see it, he only cares that the dragon is finally available for him to play with, to try and chase away that loneliness woven within the beautiful honeyed golden eyes that had looked like little jewels.
On their first meeting after that day, the fox brings him an offering of tea set; one made of ceramics that he had received on one of his birthdays from his mother. The dragon eyes him funny though accepts his gift. The next time He serves tea, his tea set is placed on the table, filled with warm, delicious tea.
On his next visit, he had brought his family"s offering; this month"s harvest along with his mother"s handmade doll of a tiny fox. It looked silly on the dragon"s claws, so minuscule in comparison to His mighty hand. But the delicate way He holds the doll signifies His capability of gentle care, so he entrusts the doll to the dragon"s hands, laughing when He sternly tells him that He doesn"t need it.
Comes the next week, he skips into the dragon"s abode with various kinds of jewels. Apparently, knowing that the fox is favored by the dragon, the people in town had started to ask him to carry their own offerings. Red of Ruby, blue of Sapphire, he places them one by one on the table, green of Jade and yellow of Citrine. The dragon huffs at this arrangement before He carefully picks them one by one and slips into the door to the next room.
A treasury, the fox assumes, yet not quite interested to pry. After all, the treasures interest him not.
This goes on and on. Until the dragon passes him the tea by hand, his paw brushes against the claws. A touch, he blinks, yet the dragon does not retract the claws.
He counts this as a victory.
As the season grows colder, the climb grows harder, the fox never relents - not even once. He would arrive with wet furs and drenched red scarf, shaking the water out of it as best as he could before starting to lay down what offerings he brought that day and playing around the abode, inviting the dragon for a hide and seek or any other little games.
Meanwhile, the dragon observes.
When he arrives next, shaking in his boots, the dragon huffs and places a folded fabric on his paws. It"s a coat; white and soft like silk. He looks up at the dragon, a disbelieved look on his face before he throws himself to the fierce creature fearlessly in gratefulness. The coat is a permanent fixture in his attire now.
With winter comes the need for the dragon"s aid even more. Failing harvest, threats from out of Liyue, or even the bandits around the mountains where He lives, who knows nothing of the god presiding in the peak. And the fox understands when it has to, some of the days, leaves him by himself in his abode as it has to take off for rescue; a group of stray soldiers from out of Liyue has arrived in their territory, looking for blood to spill.
It"s annoying, true, but the fox knows the kindness that the dragon harbors to His people, the fondness He holds for them each despite the distance He has given Himself to the subject He serves.
But today, the request for help had come before the offerings could be stored and the fox is left with the small idols made out of noctilucous jade in his paws. Sighing, he stands up and approaches the door to the back, where he had assumed the treasury is located. Opening the door takes no effort and he blinks at the sight.
It is a treasury, indeed.
From left to right, top to bottom, it is filled with jewelry and china, all sorts of offerings from all sorts of individuals. He spots a few he can name, and others he couldn’t, it really is filled nearly to the brim.
In the center, away from other treasure, lies an item inside a glass box. A pretty white scale gleaming even under the dim light of the treasury.
Curiosity is whispering to the fox, filling him with questions he can"t quite answer. And before he knows it, his paws are already placed onto the glass box, his eyes fixated on its shining surface. It"s a scale, similar to the dragon"s, though it contradicts the color.
Whose? As he ponders this question a great roar suddenly reverberates across the abode.
He doesn"t even have time to retract his paws when the set of claws have wrapped themselves around his wrist. A growl; menacing and full of anger is spit at him. He is dragged away from the treasury. Out from the abode altogether before he is left on the snow, cold and alone.
The dragon doesn"t welcome him anymore.
Still the fox returns each week, bearing gifts and offerings from Liyue. He climbs to the peak, stays until near evening as he speaks by himself before going back home when the abode does not open before him.
This is okay, he thinks, it"s like a spat he does with his siblings.
He returns each week with apologies in his tongue. It"s okay, he muses, one day for sure, one day. He hopes.
During the change of season that day, when the snow warms and the spring buds start to sprout beneath blankets of snow, he returns to an open abode. Oh. Is he welcomed again?
He enters with a warm and giddy heart and stops dead in his tracks.
There are dead bodies of humans within. Dread fills him, his heart clenches at the sight and he immediately leaps into action, checking for the lifeless bodies. They are not native to Liyue, of course they would not know the god Liyue reveres. Had they known, they would not dare disturb its territory.
He enters the room he has been so long since seen and gasps at the disarray, the cluttered gifts and the dirty tea sets. His doll ripped to pieces by the upturned table. Before he can set to work swiftly, to tidy the mess as best as he could, he notices the door to the treasury.
It"s ajar.
Without hesitation he enters, sees that most of it has been untouched. Maybe a painting had been moved or that statue had skidded a little to the left, but the rest seems undisturbed. And the glass box in the middle looks safe too. Along with the item within.
As he breathes a sigh of relief, various sets of footsteps suddenly barge into the room. He brandishes his claws and hisses at the threat, his tail stands up at attention; threatening. It is a group of bandits, dressed in clothing not unlike the dead ones he found.
The bandit barks an order and they begin their pillage as the fox hisses his warning, threatening to cut them if they dare touch anything.
They don"t listen, their greedy hands start to steal and take. The fox leaps at one and claws the man’s throat, his tiny claws cutting it open.
The bandit stops moving instantly.
They turn their attention to him now, growls of anger addressed to him fill the air, but the fox doesn"t back down.
This is the treasury of his beloved dragon. No one can touch it. No one would.
The fox fights to protect.
Out in the mountains, the dragon releases the lower half of a bandit from between His teeth, flinging the upper part elsewhere.
Though the bandits’ attack was unexpected, they are mere humans who stand no chance against the might of a god. Admittedly, they are persistent and numerous, He has to even chase them away from its abode, let not one of them live to tell the tale.
He would not let none of them survive the encounter as a warning.
The dragon huffs in satisfaction as He begins His trek back to His home.
Only to find the entrance wide open. He blinks at this, confused before He curses.
Curse that habit of His; the fox had made Him grow soft; careless.
Trudging through His abode, He quickly checks for anything that seems out of place. Dead bodies, not counted. The main room seems undisturbed as well, He notes before He ends in the treasury. The scale, He remembers and enters. He finds more dead bodies within, fresh and bloody.
And in the center, where His precious glass box lies, he finds--
-- the fox wrapping himself around the cracked glass.
Several arrows are sticking out from his small, used to be lively body. Several wounds are bleeding profusely from his tiny form, his fur coated with crimson. The scarf around his neck is unwound and the coat He had given him is painted red with blood.
Inside the glass box, the scale is safe. Embraced within the lifeless arms of the fox.
That day, in the evening, the fox did not return back to his home.
There was once a dragon who lived atop the mountain of Ashes and Dusts.
His abode withers with time and His body crumbles, drowned in His mourning.
As He returns to the earth which had once made Him, His form is curled around a cracked glass box.
Within, a gleaming white scale wrapped in a red scarf rests peacefully, safe in His embrace as death claims His soul.
“Aww, but I want the fox to live with the dragon...”
Zhongli chuckles at such an innocent reaction. His hand drops to the ginger locks, ruffling them in a playful manner, “Would that really be the best outcome for that tale?” he asks quietly as the child in his lap readily nods. Twinkling blue eyes are looking up at him with excitement, the freckles on his cheeks are prominent under the evening sun, “Of course! And then they can go on an adventure together! Maybe they can explore the mountain or, or, cross the river or--”
Judging by the rate the child is going it would be quite a while until he’s finished with his imagination. Truthfully, what he is suggesting is not a bad end either, his own is just how the tale was being told from the weaver and he simply has a good memory to remember it word by word.
Footsteps are stomping rapidly up the stairs and there the young man is, panting a bit as the flushed face of a certain Harbinger appears from the railing, “Ah, sensei, sorry for having you babysitting for a bit” his smile is bright as usual, even brighter upon catching sight of the child in his lap.
“Big brother!”
And there goes the little boy, leaping to his big brother’s embrace. Childe happily catches him in a firm grip, uncaring if behind him is the stairs. The pair of siblings spin for a bit before the big brother lets the little one sit on his shoulder; his previous hint of exhaustion disappears.
“Mister Zhongli is telling me a story about this fox and a dragon and--”
He goes on and on, repeating his version of the story, though most of it stays true to what he told him. Along the impromptu rapid storytelling Childe nods and follows it faithfully, releasing an agreeing noise or reacting enthusiastically to the words that his brother says.
“You seem to be having fun with mister Zhongli?”
The little brother’s eyes lit up, “Yes! Mister Zhongli knows a lot of stuff! He’s really cool just like what your letter said, big brother!”
To his amusement, Childe actually flushes with that statement, his cheeks gain color, leaning over to a Jueyun chili instead of his usual fair complexion. “Ye-yeah, well, he is an interesting companion after all!”
“He is! I can see why you keep writing to us about him! Mom even said that you might as well have gained a hus--”
The rest of that sentence is quickly cut off with a hand over the younger’s mouth as Childe quickly says, “Anyway, thank you mister Zhongli for the favor!” he tries to laugh, though it comes out stiffer than his usual natural charming speech. He waves his hand at him and lets his little brother land from his perch to take his hand when the boy suddenly turns around.
“Mister Zhongli, do you want to have dinner with us too?”
Beside him, the big brother is gawking. He stifles a laugh as a gentle smile slides into his feature, a reply slipping out of his lips, “If I am allowed to...”
“Please, big brother?”
Zhongli doesn’t even need to hear the answer.
BONUS
“Mister Zhongli, do you have any more stories like that?”
“Now Teucer, don’t bother mister Zhong-”
“I do. I have thousands of tales I have collected for as long as I have lived. There’s even a story about a warrior fighting an awful beast to save his cat or the princess who takes up the sword to defend her country and people”
“Whoa! I want to hear them, I want to hear them all!”
“But, mister Zhongli has to stay in Liyue, you know? He can’t tell you bedtime stories every day”
“Awwh...”
“Don’t worry, Teucer, I can always make your brother my wife so we may become a family and you can visit here anytime you want”
“Sensei!!?”
“Yes, yes, brother, please marry mister Zhongli! Please be mister Zhongli’s wife!”
“It seems I have attain your family’s permission to mate you, Childe”
“ Marry me, mister Zhongli, marry, not mate ”
“So you are agreeing to a marriage?”
“...”